Reddit is one of the largest online social news communities. People gather there to share and discuss stories on almost any topic imaginable. Reddit has been around since 2005 and has a worldwide registered user base in the millions. Billing itself as “the front page of the Internet,” Reddit is distinguished by a no-frills, bulletin-board look and a ranking system for posts in which users’ “upvotes” or “downvotes” determine which stories rise to the top of a page, and which sink into obscurity.

Why care?

Reddit is quickly becoming a top online news source and benefits from both the viral nature of social media and the growing reliance upon crowd-sourcing information for breaking news stories. Whether you peruse social news sites or not, there is no denying Reddit’s utility as a platform to connect with millions of curious, engaged minds quickly, easily, and for free. There are probably users in your field using Reddit in this way, discussing topics that you speak, teach, or write about.

What is the best way to become involved?

Reddit is known for hosting question-and-answer sessions with personalities from all spheres of life, from unknown (but interesting) people to well-known public figures. These online mass interviews are known on Reddit as AMAs (for “Ask Me Anything”) and are a great way to expand your online discoverability while demonstrating expertise and knowledge in a particular field or topic of discussion.

AMA sessions have been hosted by an incredible range of people, from actors, athletes, and musicians to politicians (including the president), authors, and researchers. Scientists in particular have held some fascinating discussions in AMAs across disciplines like nanoscience, paleontology, epidemiology, mathematics, engineering, sociology, chemistry, computer science, and many others.